Lam Paul Gabriel, the SPLA-IO spokesperson has said some actors have no political will to implement the peace agreement and directly benefit from war.

Radio Tamazuj sounded him out in an exclusive interview on a broad range of issues. Below are edited excerpts:

Q: When do we expect the graduation of the united forces?

A: At the moment, I cannot say much about the graduation of forces because currently, the priority is the unification of command. They have to unite the leadership of all forces between the government and the opposition, starting with the military, Police, Prison Service, and national security. All these procedures should be finished by the Joint Defense Board (JDB) and they would write their recommendations and it has been presented to the office of the president and his deputies. So if there is going to be graduation or any reunification process will be communicated by the top leadership.

Q: The Minister of Defense announced earlier that the graduation was going to take place on 1 May, what happened?

A: If the minister gives an order to the JDB, they will do their tasks and give a new timetable so the minister would announce any decision based on their recommendations. This is what made the minister announce that the graduation was going to happen on 1 May. As we all know, the minister is not the final person to decide on this matter. The president has to give a green light for this thing to take place.

Q: Could you also give us highlights about the conditions of the forces in the training centers? Some of them were complaining about lack of food, medicine among other things. 

A: Their conditions are not that good. Forces at training centers and cantonment sites are still suffering due to lack of food and if there is food, it is not enough. They also lack medicines and now the rainy season is here and some of them would need shelters. They are suffering. All these reports have been presented to the NTC [National Transitional Committee], they are the only body that can decide over this.

Q: What about those in camp 15 and Kapoeta, there are reports that some of them left the training center? Can you brief us on this?

A: It is true. As you know these forces have families. They have family and children to feed, especially those in opposition who don’t have a salary. Even salaries from the SSPDF forces are not enough. That is why many forces left to look for something that they can feed the family through. So we cannot conclude that they have run away, but they went to earn some living to feed their children until when the graduation is announced they will come back.

Q: Do you have any figures of your forces that left to support their families?

A: I cannot tell you any figures at the moment. But what I know so far is that dozens of our forces have gone home. Some also left from the cantonment sites and some SSPDF soldiers also left their barracks.

Q: Some statements by senior government officials are blaming the UNSC for the arms embargo which has contributed to the delay of the graduation of forces, especially the IO forces.

A: We are working per the law that is stipulated in the peace agreement that all forces going for training should leave their weapons in the cantonment sites. In June, our chairman also issued a circular that any soldier who is supposed to go to the training centers should go along with his guns. This is the law of the peace agreement that no one is allowed to come to the training center with guns. But if they would allow that to happen up to this moment there were reports of many military confrontations in many areas. Because one side cannot get paid and others not and yet they have access to their guns. This is unjust. You cannot pay the SSPDF and leave out the SPLA-IO. Many of our forces have died but yet we are determined to stay. 

All our forces who are in the training centers are here to implement the peace agreement. And if the issue is guns, we can go and get our guns from the cantonment sites so they can be graduated. So the issue of guns is not the issue.

Q: So according to you, what is the issue?

A: As South Sudanese, we are not united. We don’t have peace in our hearts. If they wanted guns we would come without guns but what is important is to have peace in our hearts.

Q: What are the main obstacles that are delaying the implementation of the security arrangement?

A: There is no political will. Some people used to benefit during wartime and now when there is peace, they will not gain anything. This is the truth. If there were a real political will and people genuinely wanted to leave in peace, the graduation would have been done a long time ago.

Q: Can you also brief us about the recent development in SPLA-IO? There has been a lot of misunderstandings that led to the sacking of Chief of General Staff Simon Gatwech Dual?

A: Gatwech has a right because he was here in Juba during the 2013 incident and during 2016 as well. We ran together to the neighboring Congo. So what happened in Juba previously is still in his memories. He is our member and he has a right to say what he says. We cannot condemn him but we should say we are here for peace. There are some statements that we have surrendered in Juba. But I want to say the war will never take us forward, we will kill ourselves. So we don’t have much between us and our former chief Gatwech. He told us that he doesn't have any problem with IO.

Q: What about General Johnson Olony? 

A: Olony didn't say anything up to now.

Q: But some IO members are blaming Machar for having been in Juba before making sure the security arrangement is fully implemented.

A: It is the pressure from the International community that pushed Machar to come to Juba. He did not come out of his will. He was in South Africa and was taken to Khartoum and he was forced to sign the peace agreement and they told him that this peace agreement should be implemented. This is our peace as South Sudanese and it was wise even for Machar to come and begin to implement the peace.

It is not true that Machar came to Juba and forgot his forces behind. No. I was among the first advanced security team that came ahead before Mahar. We organized confidence-building between the IO and the SSPDF and since then, some things are changing.

Q: So does Machar still have control over his forces in the field?

A: Forces are still not unified. Now if he wants to go to the field, which one will follow him? He is supposed to be given protection by the joint security and now others will regard this as house arrest. Machar is free to move. We don’t want him to begin visiting the field before unifying forces. Machar is still having full control of his forces.

Magenis is not the only location of the IO forces. Look at Equatoria. Is there any problem? Also, we have forces in Western Bahr el Ghazal state, is there any problem? But what I am sure of is that this issue will come to an end soon. 

Q: Any final message?

A: We are here in Juba and we are for the implementation of peace. I know that the implementation is not going as people wanted. Let us all South Sudanese stand together and have one heart to implement this peace. I know there are a lot of issues in the cantonment sites and training centers. Let us put our hearts as one and implement peace.